STATUS: IN EDIT
Co-directed by Frederick Bernas and Nico Muñoz, this feature documentary follows Argentine artist/scientist Joaquín Fargas on a quixotic quest of poetic protest, taking in performative installations on stunning Antarctic islands and Bolivian salt flats – where vibrant ecosystems have been ravaged by mining in the manic global lithium rush, fueled by surging demand for electric vehicles.
Co-directed by Frederick Bernas and Nico Muñoz, this feature documentary follows Argentine artist/scientist Joaquín Fargas on a quixotic quest of poetic protest, taking in performative installations on stunning Antarctic islands and Bolivian salt flats – where vibrant ecosystems have been ravaged by mining in the manic global lithium rush, fueled by surging demand for electric vehicles.
One of Joaquín’s creations is a solar-powered robotic caterpillar which crawls across the arid Altiplano, miraculously harvesting precious droplets of moisture from a barren landscape – seemingly devoid of life.
It’s a dystopian future vision that he is on a mission to prevent, with quirky inventions that belie a serious message: We need to stop destroying our vital natural resources, before it’s too late.
His innovative work breaks boundaries between disciplines, in a way some people struggle to understand; his far-fetched ideas are often spurned by the worlds of culture and science alike.
But his perseverance serves as a clarion call for us to confront daunting challenges with creativity – “because if we don’t do anything, we already know the results,” says the artist.
Technological progress is driving growth and development, but does it have to be a Faustian pact which damages our planet beyond repair?
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Click below to watch the "Utopians" mini-series, produced for the Barbican – Our Time On Earth exhibition, with a directors' cut released by NOWNESS (2022)
In 2024, the team produced a live event in which material from the documentary was essentially remixed as a cinemusical performance – hosted by Plena Productions at the Picto NY gallery in Brooklyn.
Artistic Director / Sax & Electronics: Frederick Bernas
VJ: Juan Jiménez – Pincel Galactic
Guitar: Charlie McLaren
